Canary Blue

Cyclyrius webbianus

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Male, La Palma - April 2001

Male, La Palma - April 2001

Cyclirius webbianus distribution

Distribution

The Canary blue is endemic to the Canary Islands, where it is locally common. I have visited the Canaries - La Palma - only once, in April 2001, and found it very difficult getting close enough to this incredibly lively butterfly to get any decent pictures with my old SLR. A return visit is most definitely in order! I found Canary blues in several locations around the island, usually flying around bushy, dry areas in the heat of the day.

There is no possibility of confusing this species with any other if a good view is had of the underside. There is only one other known member of the genus - C. mandersi - and that is believed to be extinct. Females are similar to the males but with less blue, concentrated at the base of the wings.

The Canary blue is polyvoltine, flying in a succession of broods throughout the year. At high altitudes on Tenerife it is apparently unrecorded during the winter months but how it spends the winter there is unknown. The larval foodplants are various species from the pea family.